The proposed September 18 undisputed clash between Canelo Alvarez and Caleb Plant is edging close to being agreed.
Canelo, who holds the WBA, WBC and WBO world titles is just one belt away from becoming the official king of the 168lb division. In his way is the unbeaten Plant who annexed the IBF strap from Jose Uzcategui in 2019 and has made three defences since.
The Athletic’s senior boxing writer Lance Pugmire tweeted ‘Only small details remain before Canelo-Plant- is finalised for September 18 at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas’.
The bout will be broadcast live on FOX in America signalling what appears to be a brief and temporary departure from streaming service DAZN who have exclusively broadcast Canelo’s last three fights.
The MGM Grand has been a happy hunting ground over the years for Canelo having won six out of seven times since his first appearance there in 2010 against Jose Miguel Cotto. At the same venue the pound-for-pound king has also triumphed against Shane Mosley, Josesito Lopez, Alfredo Angulo, Erislandy Lara and Sergey Kovalev. The win over ‘Krusher’ gave Canelo the WBO light-heavyweight title and in doing so became a four-weight world champion.
For Plant the opportunity to face Canelo will represent a significant step-up in class but a life-changing financial reward as well. The 29-year-old is yet to face any of the current top-ten super-middleweights and will seek to do what only Floyd Mayweather has done against the Mexican, at the MGM Grand in September 2013, and that is beat the red-haired superstar.